Advisor: Martin Levine and Lorena Salcedo-Watson

Jing Hua Shui Yue (flower in the mirror, moon in the water) is an independent art project featuring six paintings and a ceramic piece. In this series, I have extended my exploration of linework and integrated techniques from Chinese painting. The collection serves as a visual exploration of themes related to feminine beauty, aesthetic illusions, and traditional Chinese culture.

Growing up as an only child for the majority of my life, I have to admit that my childhood was quite delightful and content. My family members spoiled me with delicious foods, countless toys, and supported every spark of my interests. Art happens to be one of my interests that I discovered earliest. I always had a lot of ideas and imaginations going on in my head and art was my way of releasing them. My mother started sending me to different after school art programs since elementary school. I was exposed to different art mediums and creative visual art projects at an extremely young age. Starting off with basic arts and crafts to academic learning of still lifes, my passion for art only grew stronger. Although my family still supports my hobbies, they wished I could find another direction for a living. I saw the sense in that, so I decided to take some computer science classes in college. However, it turned out that art is my true passion. 

I continued to explore different art mediums and finally got the opportunity to unleash an independent project. Ever since I started taking heavy academic art courses in high school, I have been doing less and less art on my own. This project pushed me to make art with all the skills and experience I have earned so far without limitations. Jing Hua Shui Yue (镜花水月) was the word that immediately came to me. The Chinese idiom can be directly translated as “flower in the mirror, moon in the water”. It refers to the elusiveness of fantasy, charming and difficult to capture, just like the flower in the mirror and the moon in the water. I appreciate the sense of ambiguity and peacefulness conveyed through the Chinese language. This idiom resonates with my work, as I enjoy incorporating imaginative elements in a calm and aesthetically pleasing manner. 

My artworks revolve around everything about nature, fantasy, and feminine beauty. In this project, I used myself as the figure to connect my themes to Chinese culture through traditional Chinese paintings. Traditional Chinese paintings have several branches of styles and techniques. The styles are mostly distinguished by the surface that the artwork is painted on. Most traditional Chinese paintings are painted on Xuan paper or rice paper. Xuan paper can be divided into two major categories: Sheng Xuan and Shu Xuan. Sheng Xuan refers to raw rice paper that has high absorbance and flexibility, allowing ink to spread; Shu Xuan is rice paper processed with potassium alum which prevents the ink from moving around, capturing neatness and accuracy. I chose the latter since delicacy is one of the elements I aim to achieve in my artworks. As for the technique, I took Gongbi as my main inspiration. Gongbi is a traditional Chinese painting technique known for its detailed linework and realistic depiction. Gongbi technique requires artists to outline the entire composition and details with fine lines in ink. Then, paint the shades and shadows with light ink, and finally, apply colors carefully. I followed the rough structure of this process, incorporating some of my own techniques, such as variation of lineweight. 

Out of the six paintings, each two will be paired up. They are each complete artworks, but the composition and style will resonate in a way that allows them to be showcased together nicely. Additionally, a ceramic piece is introduced to complement the series. 

Title: Fairy with Pipa, Date: December 2023, Dimensions: 20½″ x 25¾″, Medium: Ink and watercolor on rice paper

The more I grow, the more I realize how connected I am to my identity as a Chinese person. I am always compelled by the richness of Chinese history, mythology, and culture. In this piece, my inspirations came from the Dunhuang paintings of the Mogao Caves. These ancient Buddist cave paintings present such fascinating movements, colors, and characteristics. Using myself as the reference, I created the figure of a young woman in Dunhuang-styled attire. There are intricate jewelries, layered fabric, flying ribbons, and halo behind her head. She holds a Pipa, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, much like the performers often depicted in Dunhuang paintings. To make it more personal, I used orange daylilies, the flower in my Chinese name, in the designs of the accessories. The entire image portrays a beautiful goddess effortlessly floating on top of what appears to be clouds or water, holding a Pipa with floral patterning. 

Title: Dragon of the Water, Date: December 2023, Dimensions: 20½″ x 25¾″, Medium: Ink and watercolor on rice paper

Continuing my exploration of Chinese mythology, I did another depiction of Xiao Long Nv or dragon girl. I used myself as the figure directly, diving down with a spiritual vase in my hands. Vase is a common type of treasure in Chinese mythology, so I designed my own vase to make it more personal. As for the dragon features, I referenced Jiao Long. Jiao Long is not a real dragon technically speaking. It is a type of mythological creature that dominates the waters with dragon blood. The most obvious distinction is that Jiao Long’s horns do not split like dragons do. While Jiao Long’s powers are limited to the waters, it has the potential of transforming into a real dragon after overcoming the tribulations. That is a presentation of me as I continue to find my way of developing and achieving as an artist and person. In the painting, my upper body is in human form dressed in traditional HanFu. The long sleeves end in layers of waves, referencing the patterning of waves in traditional Chinese landscape paintings. The waves transition into clusters of fish that surround the figure. 

Title: Qipao, Date: November 2023, Dimensions: 11¾″ x 26″, Medium: Ink and watercolor on scroll

To further demonstrate Chinese cultural elements, I moved on to painting on scrolls. The scroll painting depicts myself in Qipao or cheongsam, a Chinese style garment. The self portrait pictures my upper body in a still position as I peek towards the right. When grouped together with my next artwork, it would appear that I am looking in the direction of that artwork. I based the painting on my actual Qipao set, modifying the original floral patterning to incorporate orange daylilies. The colors are applied lightly, avoiding competition with the linework. I took the full liberty of playing with the lineweight. 

Title: Hanfu, Date: November 2023, Dimensions: 11¾″ x 26″, Medium: Ink and watercolor on scroll

Due to its long history, China has many distinctive traditional attires from different time periods. This self portrait depicts myself in my ruqun. Ruqun is a type of Hanfu characterized by a short upper piece accompanied by a long skirt. I had a perfect reference photo of myself running towards the left side of the frame. Together with my prior piece, the two paintings create an interesting interaction between myself in different Chinese attires. There are many common elements between the two pieces, like the orange lilies patterning and light coloring.

Title: Lotus Realm, Date: December 2023, Dimensions: 10½″ x 13″, Medium: Ink and watercolor on scroll

For the last two pieces, I decided to delve into the scenery. My painting depicts a classic element in Chinese art—the lotus, floating among clouds. The lotus is associated with many positive meanings, such as calmness and peace. The dreamy flowers and clouds create a delicate landscape. Gold paint is used to highlight the lotus and add a surreal touch to this classic subject. At first glance, it seems to be a typical lotus painting, but upon closer inspection, it suggests an enchanting wonderland.

Title: Oranges and Water, Date: December 2023, Dimensions: 10½″ x 13″, Medium: Ink and watercolor on scroll

The sixth piece in this series features a set of oranges. In Chinese, the word for ‘orange’ has the same pronunciation as ‘good fortune,’ and, as a result, oranges are often associated with positive connotations. I’ve depicted an orange branch diagonally across the scroll, adopting a composition similar to that of the lotus in the previous painting. I chose three oranges for the branch, a number I felt best suited the size. It’s worth noting that in Chinese culture, the number four carries a negative connotation, so I opted for three to avoid any negative associations. I’ve applied gold to enhance the painting, creating a more cohesive visual effect. Additionally, the orange branch is depicted touching a body of water, adding an intriguing element to the image and providing context.

Title: Lotus Pond, Date: May 2023, Dimensions: 16″ x 14″ x 4″, Medium: Ceramic with glaze

The ceramic piece comprises four individual sculptures: a lotus flower, two fish, and a plate. The lotus flower was crafted using a combination of pinch and coil techniques, and its vibrant, shiny appearance sets it apart from the typical soft-colored lotus depictions. Colored with acrylic paint, it stands out prominently. The two koi fish, shaped through slab and pinch techniques, convey an active swimming motion, creating an engaging composition. They lack facial features or scales and are glazed in pink and water blue, nothing like the color of a real koi fish. Traditional koi pattering is replaced by non-geometrical openings on their backs. These openings produce a captivating visual reflection effect, especially when water is added. The plate, formed from a large piece of slab, was carved and manipulated along the edges to evoke a liquid-like feel. It serves as a body of water for the lotus and fish. Nothing is physically attached, allowing each component to be displayed individually or arranged freely.

My project, Jing Hua Shui Yue, is a journey of exploring my culture and expressing it through the medium of traditional Chinese painting. Each piece in this collection represents a distinct fantasy inspired by traditional Chinese culture, as the theme title suggests. The ceramic piece in my collection similarly conveys a touch of illusory fantasy through its distinctive form and unique choice of glazing. This artistic exploration serves as a process that not only deepens my understanding of my cultural roots but also hones my artistic skills and expression. Learning and incorporating some traditional painting techniques added to the distinctive Eastern Asian ambiance. By employing fine lines and varying line weights, I aimed to breathe life into each image, bringing forth a tangible reality. The experience of utilizing different art styles and techniques for independent projects has been both enjoyable and fulfilling, contributing significantly to my artistic growth.